base jumping

British  

noun

1. a sport in which a participant parachutes from any of a variety of fixed objects such as high buildings, cliffs, etc

---

Etymology

Origin of base jumping

C20: b ( uilding ), a ( ntennae ), s ( pan , and ) e ( arthbound object )

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

base jumping

In 1966, Brian Schubert and a buddy strapped parachutes to their backs and leaped off Yosemite’s 3,000-foot-high El Capitan cliff -- and unwittingly inspired the worldwide extreme sport of base jumping.

From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 5, 2026

Since his recent voyage, Lastner has lived out of a van, driving across the U.S. skydiving, base jumping and speedflying in spots including Utah’s Wasatch Mountains.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 29, 2025

In March 2022, a British man died after base jumping in south-east France.

From BBC ● Jan. 28, 2024

Even Dean Potter, an openly spiritual man who describes free-soloing as part of a personal art form that includes base jumping, finds Honnold difficult to understand.

From New York Times ● Mar. 12, 2015

It's called base jumping and it makes no sense at all but is somehow absolutely beautiful – as is this film.

From The Guardian ● Jul. 29, 2010